Automatic temperature-regulating system.



H. G. GEISSINGER.

AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE REGULATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1910.

1,144,032, Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

8141mm oz q vitmeooea 11.6. ae zjssinyei' H. G. GEISSINGER.

AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE REGULATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, I910.

Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- avwemfoz HGG'fMSLIW T by 6 6 m UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

HARRY G. GEISSINGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 GEISSINGERREGULATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE-REGULATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J n 22 1915 Application filedFebruary 26, 1910. Serial No. 546,248.

To all 1071 om it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY G. GEIssINoEn, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticTemperature-Regulating Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the automatic control of temperatures inbuildings and particularly to the control of indirect forced-airheating.

It is common in systems of indirect heating in which air is heated bypassing it over steam coils or other heating devices and then deliveredthrough air-ducts or conduits to the different apartments, to regulatethe temperature of the heated air by by-passing adjustable amounts ofcold air around the heating coils and then uniting the two-currents ofhigh and low temperature into a single current of the temperaturedesired. Such systems, however, are not truly automatic in their controlof the heat supply and moreover, are wasteful of the heat energy, sincethey do not in any manner control the steam or other heating mediumsupplied to the heating device.

The principal object of my invention is to combine in a unitary systemof control, the regulation of both the heating medium and the proportionof air which is shunted around the heating device.

My invention not only provides a system of duplex control of the air andheating medium which is truly automatic but also results in a decidedeconomy in the heat supply. Any desired heating medium may be employed,that chosen for illustration in the present instance being steam.

Other important advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this artfrom the following description of my invention in connection with theaccompanying explanatory drawings in which Figure 1, is a side elevationof one embodiment of my invention in which air is forced oversteamheated coils, both steam and air being under automatic control;Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same; Fig. 3 illustratesdiagrammatically an arrangement of electrical control of the valvesregulating both the proportion of air passing over and shunted aroundthe heating coils, and the fiow of steam through the coils; Fig. 4 is adetail view of a part of the electrical controlling circuits; and Fig. 5is a modifica tion showing the controlling switch actuated by pneumaticor fluid pressure.

Referring to the arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2, the heater 1 contains theheating coils 2, over which the air to be heated is forced by means ofthe blower 5. The proportion of air which may pass at any instant overthe heating coils and that shunted through the by-pass 6 directly intothe main air-duct 7, is determined by the position of the valve ordamper 8, while the amount of steam entering the heating coils from thepipe 10 is under the control of the piston 12. The lever-arm 13 of theair-valve 8 is connected, as by means of a link 14 with the pistonrod15, so that the position of the piston 12 in the casing or cylinder 17,definitely determines the ratiobetween the currents of heated and coldair passing to the air-conduit 7 and simultaneously the amount of steampassing to the heater coils. I believe that I am the first to controlboth the currents of hot and cold air and also the supply of the heatingmedium passing to the heater. A number of important advantages arisefrom this duplex control of the heating medium and the proportion ofheated air. It will be seen at once by heating engineers that my methodof regulating the temperatures of the air supplied to the air-duct ismuch more sensitive than the systems heretofore employed and that theheater can, therefore, respond more quickly to the di recting influenceof the thermal device.

I have shown the motor-valve which actuate the air valve 8 and controlsthe steam port 10, leading to the heater in the form of a spool-valvehaving pistons 12 and 12 and provided at one end with the piston rod 15and at the opposite end having a stem 19, connected to the piston 20 ofthe dash-pot 21. Steam from the source of supply enters the cylinderfrom the steam pipe 23, through the port 24. In the position of thevalve shown in Fig. 2, the ports 10 and 24 are completely closed by thepiston valve 12*, thus cutting off all steam from the coils of theheater.

For the purpose of reciprocating the piston 12, a pipe 25, connects thesteam pipe 23 with the chest of the auxiliary controlling valve 27. Whenthis valve is in its lower position as shown,steam is admitted into thepipe 28, and the piston 12 is raised the exhaust from the pipe 29passing through the valve opening 30 and the outlet pipe 31. In Fig. 2the ports are in osition to lower the temperature, the air-va ve 8leading to the heater being closed and the piston valve 12 having cutoff the steam from the pipe leading to the heater coils. As soon as thetemperature in the apartment or room to be controlled has reached thecritical degree, the thermostat 35, closes the circuit of the battery36, through the solenoid 38, which thereupon raises its core and thevalve 27, connecting the pipe 29 with the steam suppl y and opening thepipe 28 to the exhaust. The valve 12 now descends, gradually admittingsteam to the pipe 10 leading to the heater and opening the air-valve ordamper 8. Any fluctuation or hunting of the valveactuating mechanism isprevented and any sudden or violent movement of the damper is preventedby the dash-pot which controls the movements of the piston 12. Insteadof actuating the valve by steam it may be actuated by'pneumaticpressure, the auxiliary valve-chest being connected to a source ofcompressed air through a suitable conduit.

The r pidity of movement of the piston valve may be regulated withprecision by means of a valve 40, in the tube 41, through which theliquid must flow in passing from one side of the piston to the otherside. The flow of the liquid through the small pipe 41 and the graduatedorifice in the valve 40, is the controlling factor in the movement ofthe valve mechanism and practically eliminates the effects due tochanges in the frictional resistance of the piston valves 12, 12 or thevalve 8, which might be caused by rusting of these ports. My

arrangement of valve mechanism is, therefore, capable of preciseadjustment which is not liable to variations as is the case in thosesystems where the movement of the damper depends upon spring action orto the variations in pressure in a compressed air supply or thevariations in the orifice of a dip-valve. The absolute regularity anduniformity of action of my valve mechanism in which the effects ofdisturbing elements, such as friction, rust, varying pneumatic pressure,etc., are avoided, will be appreciated by those skilled in this art.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a manner in which the valves controllingthe heating medium and the air-currents may be actuated by electricpower. A crank 50, connected with the link 14 of the air by-pass damperand a valve 52', controlling the admission of steam to the heater pipe10, are operated from a shaft driven by an electric motor 55. In orderthat the electric d ive shall operate the valves in the same manner aspreviously described in regard to the steam or pneumatic control,causing the same to respond quickly and yet operating with a slowlimited speed, I provide an arrangement having these characteristics.

The crank connected with the link of the by-pass damper 8, the segmenteddisk 57 which actuates the valve 52 and the commutator ring 59, arecarried by a shaft which is preferably connected by reduction gearingwith the arbor of the motor 55, so that the speed of the motor may bemuch greater than that of the shaft. In order that the motor may havethe characteristics of ,quick starting but comparatively slow, limitedspeed, I prefer to employ a shunt wound motor with separate andreversely wound field coils 55, 55 and to supply a current ofsubstantially constant value. Such an arrangement is diagrammaticallyshown in Fig. 3. For the purpose of causing the current to be constantin value and to be substantially unaffected by the counterelectromotiveforce of the motor a resistance is interposed in one of thesupply loads 61, and the armature connected between this resistance andthe other lead 62. The field windings 55 and 55 are connected inseparate shunt circuits and are wound to produce opposite polarities sothat the motor will rotate in opposite directions, depending upon whichset of field coils is energized. The current through the respectivefield coils is determined by the switch 64 and the commutator 59, theswitch being actuated in any suitable manner as hereinafter described.In the position shown the motor has rotated in .an anti-clockwisedirection and the current through its field coil 55 has been cut off bythe brush 66 passing onto the insulating section of the commutator. Inthis position the crank 50 has raised the air by-pass 8 into theposition to prevent the passage of air through the heater and the stemof the valve 52 has dropped upon the fiat part of the disk 57, shuttingoff the steam supply from the heater. The fiat portion of the disk maytaper gradually into the circular portion. If now, the switch 64 israised against its upper contact, a circuit will be esta lished throughthe field coil 55, by way of the brush 65, the metal segment 67, commonbrush 68 and small regulating resistance 69 to the lead 62. This willcause the motor to rotate in the opposite or clock-wise direction,raising the steam valve 52 and gradually opening the airvalve,permitting air to pass through the heater. By the time the by-pass valvehas swung to a position to close the by-pass, the brush will have movedupon the insu lating segment, thus stopping the motor. I have abovepointed out that the large resistance 60 is the controlling factor inthe circuit to cause a substantially constant current to flowthrough themotor which will have a large starting torque and will quickly acquireits full speed. The limiting speed will be attained at once by reason ofthe two factors entering therein, viz :the counter electromotive forcetending to decrease the current through the armature and thecorrespondingincrease of current through the field coilcaused to flowtherethrough on account of this decrease through the armature. Theresistance 69 in series with the field coil serves to absorb a certainproportion of the energy of the field circuit and to limit the flow ofcurrent through the field coil and consequently acts as a controller ofthe speed regulation. It will now be seen that I have provided the samecharacteristics for the operating mechanism of the valves, whether theybe actuated electrically or by steam or pneumatic power.

It is obvious that the switch 64 may be actuated in different Ways. InFig. 4 I have indicated the same under the control of an eleetromagnet70 connected in a branch circuit taken off from a small portion of theresistance 60 so that only a small voltage and current will flow in thiscircuit, which is under the control of a thermostat 35, 10-

ca ted, as usual, in the room or apartment in which the temperature isto be regulated.

In Fig. 5, I have shown the switch 64, actuated by a pneumaticpressure-valve, connected in the ordinary manner to a source ofcompressed air 72 and under the control of a thermostat indicated at 75,the pipe leading from the source of compressed air having a restrictedportion therein. It is obvious, also, that the switch 64 maybe in theform of a thermostat and operate automatically under the direct controlof the thermic changes.

I have described somewhat in detail differcnt embodiments of myinvention for purposes of illustration, but it is to be understood thatthere are other Ways of carrying out this invention and that its scopeis defined in the claims. Again, I have throughout the above descriptionreferred only to the control of heating systems, but it will be evidentto engineers that my invention is equally applicable to the control ofcooling or refrigeration systems. Furthermore, it will be understoodthat this invention is not limited to use with any particulartemperature changing medium but that any desired heating orrefrigerating medium may be employed.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in which it may beembodied, I claim- 1. A temperature regulating system, comprising meansfor supplying air thereto, a conduit for conveying atemperature-changing medium, means for heating a portion of saidair-supply by causing it to pass over said conduit, and means forsimultaneously varying the amount of the heated air portion and theamount of temperature-changing medium passing through said conduit, andmaintaining the volume of air supplied to the system substantiallyconstant.

2. A temperature regulating system, comprising means for supplying airthereto, a conduit for conveying a temperature-changing medium, meansfor heating a portion of said air-supply by causing it to pass over saidconduit, controlling means for simultaneously varying the amount of theheated air portion and the amount of temperaturechanging medium passingthrough said conduit proportionately, and maintaining the volume of airsupplied to the system substantially constant, and means for regulatingthe operation of the controlling means.

3. A temperature regulating system, comprising means for supplying airthereto, a conduit for conveying a temperature-changing medium, meansfor heating a portion of said air-supply by causing it to pass over saidconduit, controlling means for simultaneously varying the amount of theheated air portion and the amount of temperaturechanging medium passingthrough said con duit proportionately, and maintaining the volume of airsupplied to the system substantially constant, actuating mechanismtherefor, adjustable retarding means to regulate the operation of thecontrolling means to thereby prevent fluctuations in the heat supply,and a thermostat controlling said actuating mechanism.

4. A temperature regulating system, comprising an air supply, a conduitfor conveying a temperature-changing medium, means for shunting aportion of said air supply controlling means for proportionately andsimultaneously varying the amount of said shunted air portion and theamount of temperature-changing medium passing through said conduit.While maintaining the volume of air supplied to the svstem substantiallyconstant, actuating means therefor, and governing means for renderingthe operation of said controlling means independent of the friction orcondition of the moving parts thereof.

5. A temperature regulating system com prising an air-duct, atemperature changing chamber connected therewith and provided with aby-pass channel, a heating conveying vehicle in said chamber, a valveregulating the passages through said chamber and said by-pass,respectivel oroportioning means for varying the amount of saidheat-conveying vehicle, actuating means for said valve and for saidproportioning means, and a thermostatic device controlling the operationof said actuating means.

6. In a temperature regulating system, an

air-duct, a heating chamber provided with said damper and a thermostatcontrolling 10 a by-pass channel connected therewith, a the operation ofsaid mechanism.

damper for said chamber and said by-pass In testimony whereof I havehereunto set channel, steam conveying coils in said chammy hand inpresence of two subscribing wither, a valve for controlling the passageof nesses.

steam through said coils, mechanism for HARRY G. GEISSINGER. causingsaid valve to proportion in varying Witnesses: amounts the steam passingthrough said LAURA E. SMITH,

valve and for controlling the position of J. H. Gonns'rnm.

